Bag holder



Aug, 9, 1938. c. T. YOUNG ET AL- BAG HOLDER Filed A rii 3. 1936 Patented Aug. 9, 1938 rarer rips BAG HOLDER Application April 3, 1936, Serial No. 72,468

used with or without other machinery. This spout l is provided with a flange 3 to which is bolted the holder herein described.

The holder per se comprises an attaching flange from which depends a smooth metal sleeve 1 of a generally cylindric form having chordal sidewise flats 9. The peripheral distance around the sleeve l, including the distance along the flats 9, is substantially equal to the peripheral distance around the mouth of a bag, that is, the bag mouth is adapted to fit snugly, but not tightly, around said sleeve l. The flange 5 thus provides a holding surface.

Depending from the front and rear portions of the sleeve l are hollow, triangular, bag-entering or spreading guides ll. These in plan View are chordally arranged. On the sides of the sleeve '2 and depending from said flats 9 are pairs of guiding and spreading fingers it which are directed from said flats 9 at an angle adapted to place the ends of said fingers l3 Within the planes of the sides of the triangular guides II.

From the above, it will be seen that a bag, such as indicated at numeral l5 and which, for

4 Claims.

This invention relates to bag holders, and with regard to certain more specific features, to automatic bag holders for use on the ends of filler spouts and the like.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a bag holder which will receive and automatically open a bag mouth as a bag is applied thereto; the provision of a bag holder of the class described which requires only a simple operation for bag application and which will automatically and positively grip the bag to hold it for filling; the provision of apparatus of this class which effects a quick and easy release of the filled bag; the provision of apparatus of the class described which employs no holding elements which puncture or otherwise mutilate the bag; the provision of guide means on the holder which do notinterfere with the move ment of material from said spout into the bag While the latter is supported; and theprovision of apparatus of the class described which requires only the simplest manipulations for successful operation and which is itself simple in construe tion and reliable in operation. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanyingdrawing, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig.1 is a front elevation of the holder applied to the flange of a filling spout;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-4 of Fi 1;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1, parts being broken away for clarity, the view showing a bag in vertical section;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a holding finger; and,

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. '1, there is shown at numeral l a filling spout which receives pulverulent or granular or likematerial from some source, such as from a weighing machine or the like, to deliver the same to bags or the like positioned below the spout. The spout Ii is a class example of any spout that might be ll, may have its mouth slightly manually opened and at the same time elevated so that the guides ll enter the mouth to spread it laterally over the fingers l3 and then up over the sleeve 1. Under spread as indicated. It will be understood that in Fig. 4 only one gusset shows.

The guides ll, being necessarily positioned well forwardly and rearwardly, cannot have a basic spread any more than permitted by the width of the sleeve 1 at the points of attachment of said guides ll. This is not enough to completely open the mouth of the bag to pass over the flats 9, and therefore the fingers iii are used for continuing the spread toward the flats, thus to cause the bag mouth to come into position around the sleeve 7 by merely pushing up the bag. It will of course be appreciated that the above remarks apply to relatively stiff bags such as paper bags but that if fabric or other bags are stiff enough, they also maybe readily pushed up into position. It should, however, be also understood that important features of the invention are advantageous with limp bags if they be pulled over the sleeve l as a stocking.

In order that the portions of the bag mouth adjacent the flats 9 may be positioned flatwise against said flats 9, there are provided pairs of guide fingers l9 adjacent to, but spaced slightly from said flats. These fingers l9 having outthese conditions the originally foldedgussets ll 2'1 example, is shown as being provided with gussets cl-5 wardly directed ends, in contradistinction to the inwardly directed ends of the fingers l3, so that in cooperation with the fingers 3, a V-shaped guide is effected for the portions of the bag which are to be applied to said fiats 9.

Depending from the flange 5, behind the fingers I9, are pivot supports 2| on the lower ends of which are pivoted radial holding fingers 23 which lean against the flats 9 of sleeve 1. The fingers 23 are moved toward the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 4 upon application of the bag 5 to the sleeve 1. In the solid-line positions the fingers 23 gravitate and lean against the flats 9 to automatically grip the bag against outward movement from the holder. The fingers 23 rotate in substantially vertical and radial planes.

The fingers 23 are detailed in Figs. 5 and 6 and each, on its gripping end comprises a seat 25 against which is drawn, by means of draw screws 21, a holding block 29, the latter clamping and holding in position a resilient facing 3|, such as leather, rubber or the like. Each block at its outer end carries a tail piece 33 adapted to be engaged by a releasing finger 35. The fingers 23 lie in a vertical plane which is normal to the flats 9.

The releasing fingers 35 are carried on opposite ends of a rock shaft 31 rotatable in bearings 39 extending from the rear of the flange 5. One of the fingers 35 is integrally associated with a control lever 4| so that both fingers 35 are simultaneously operated by said lever. The fingers 35 and rock shaft 31 form a releasing fork spanning the holder and operated by the lever 4|.

From Fig. 4, it will be seen that the relationship between the resilient pads 3| and the flats 9 are such that in the downward positions of said pads there is a more or less tangential movement between said pads and the flats 9 as they come together, but the pads do not clear the faces. Hence the effect of a toggle is had for gripping, that is, increase in bag separating tendency increases the holding force. Operation of the device is as follows:

While the mechanism associated with the outlet I for sending down material (not shown) is shut off, the handle 4| is in the position shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 to 4. It normally gravitates to this position. Under these conditions the weights of the pad ends of the fingers 23 are enough to cause the pads to lean against the sleeve 1.

The bags which it is preferable to apply to the folder are of paper or like relatively stiff material. Because of the stiffness they may be pushed from their bottoms without collapse, provided the endwise force resisting the push is not too much. The present device avoids any such excessive resistance. The bag being applied has its mouth slightly opened, and the opening need not be much. The slightly open mouth is then pushed up, whereupon the guide fingers enter. The mouth then slips up over the guide fingers l3 and within guide fingers l9. This automatically pushes the mouth of the bag over the sleeve 1. In moving upwardly, the mouth of the bag pushes the gripping members 3| upwardly from their leaning positions. The bag mouth slides under the members 3| which then lean on the bag material.

Next, the operator needs only to release the bag and start a filling operation from the spout The weight of the bag itself causes incipient I movement of the bag downwardly, but only 23 are moved downwardly enough to grip or wedge the side of the bag at the fiats 9. The gripping effect increases with the weight applied to the bag.

The open character of the triangular guides and the open space between the fingers 3, effects low interference with the fiow of the material from the spout After a bag has been filled to a suitable degree, the material supply is cut off and then the lever 4| is pulled forwardly, whereupon the fingers 3| are depressed against the tails 33, to raise the fingers 23 from the solid-line position shown in Fig. 4 to the dotted-line position shown therein. The lever provides the necessary mechanical advantage for breaking the wedge hold. The fingers then positively clear the bag so that it may drop clear to the hands of the operator or to a suitable support. Then by releasing the lever 4|, it gravitates back into the position shown, the fingers 23 lightly fall against the flats 9 for the application of the next bag. At this time wedging is nil and hence the next bag readily pushes up the fingers.

Among the advantages of the invention are that relatively stiff bags, such as paper bags, need have the mouths thereof opened only slightly before application to the holder. Thereupon, the bags need only be pushed upwardly and released, whereupon they are automatically held ready for filling. Likewise, release of the bags from the holder, after filling, is as simple, the same being effected merely by pulling forward the lever 4|. This release causes the bag to drop.

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a bag holder, a sleeve over which the mouth of the bag is adapted to be positioned, said sleeve having a partial substantially circular form, with chordal fiat sides, open, triangular guide portions chordally arranged normally to said fiat surfaces, and guide fingers depending from said flat surfaces and directed to have their ends lie within a figure bounded by the forms of the triangular portions.

2. In a bag holder, a sleeve over which the mouth of the bag is adapted to be positioned, said sleeve having a partial substantially circular form, with chordal fiat sides, open, triangular guide portions chordally arranged normally to said fiat surfaces, guide fingers depending from said fiat surfaces and directed to have their ends lie within a figure bounded by the triangular portions, and guide fingers spaced from said lastnamed guide fingers and having ends arranged to form a tapering guide for the portions of bag mouths directed toward said flats.

3. A bag holder comprising a flange, a sleeve depending from said flange, said sleeve having a partial substantially round form with relatively limited fiat sides, open triangular guides depending from said sleeve on the round form, guide fingers depending from said sleeve atv the fiat portions and directed to have their ends enter bag mouths which are entered by said triangular guide portions, guide fingers adjacent said fiat portions and spaced therefrom, said last-named guide fingers having outwardly directed portions to form with said first-named guide fingers tapering guides adapted to lead portions of bag mouths to said flat portions, pivot means depending from said flange adjacent the fingers at said flats, oscillating fingers pivoted to said pivot means adapted to gravitate downwardly against said flats, and adapted to be passed by bag mouths applied to the flats and to grip the mouths upon incipient movement 'of the bags from the flats.

4. A bag holder comprising a flange, a sleeve depending from said flange, said sleeve having a partial substantially round form with relatively limited flat sides, open triangular guides depending from said sleeve, guide fingers depending from said sleeve at the flat portions and directed to have their ends enter bag mouths which are entered by said triangular guide portions, guide fingers adjacent said flat portions and spaced therefrom, said last-named guide fingers having outwardly directed portions to form with said first-named guide fingers tapering guides adapted to lead portions of bag mouths to said flat portions, pivot means depending from said flange adjacent the fingers at said flats, oscillating fingers pivoted to said pivot means adapted to gravitate downwardly against said flats and adapted to be passed by bag mouths applied to the flats and to grip the mouths upon incipient movement from the flats, said fingers being arranged for movement in a plane normal to the flats and having outward extensions, and means manually controllable from a single element adapted simultaneously to contact said extensions to simultaneously move said fingers to releasing positions.

CECIL T. YOUNG.

CHARLES V. BRADY. 

